Picture hanging apparatus



Feb. 16, 1965 N'. L. JOHNSON 3,159,738

PICTURE HANGING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 12, 1962 INVENTOR. Nome/ls ly/e Jo/mson HTTORNEYS United States Patent 3,169,738 PICTURE HANGING APPARATUS Norris Lyle Johnson, 229 S. St. Johns St., Ithaca, MiclL, assignor of fifty percent to Clifford C. Wetzel, Ithaca,

Mich.

Filed Sept. 12, 1962, Ser. No. 223,188 7 Claims. :(Cl. 248-31) otherwise secured to the wall of a room for engagement with a suspension wire that is anchored at its ends to opposite sides of a picture frame; Such devices provide a single point of suspension for a picture and it is not uncommon for a picture supported in such manner to be jarred askew, due to dusting, vibrations, and the like. These and other disadvantageous characteristics of single point supporting devices have been recognized heretofore and yarious attempts have been made to provide suspension devices which will prevent a picture or the like from being jarred .or vibrated out of truly vertical suspension. Some of the several proposals have provided adequate safeguards against non-vertical suspension of a picture or other object, but the known hanger devices have not been eifective to prevent canting of a pic-- ture, mirror, or other object in such manneras to maintain the opposite side edges of the object at a uniform distance from the wall.

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both of which are substantially normal to the plane of the body section 2. Each flange 3 terminates in a reversely bent extension or flange 4 that extends obliquely toward the body section 2 and terminates adjacent the latter;

Each of the extensions 4 may be punched to provide an opening for the accommodation of an anchor nail 6 or the like, and the body section 2 is provided with aligned openings to receive the nail. The

flanges 4.may be flexed upon seating of the nails 6,. thereby applying a laterally directed spring force on the latter to rigidity the structure.

The hanger apparatus alsoincludes a second elongated support member 7 having an arcuate body portion 8 which is longer than the bodyportion 2. 'At each end of the body section 8 is a-laterally offset mounting flange 9 that is apertured as at 10 to receive a nail 11 orthe like by means of which the Ymember 7 may be secured to the backof a picture, mirror,,clock, or other object 12 that isadapted to be supported on the wall 5.

An object of this invention is to provide a hanger device for supporting pictures, mirrors, and other objects on a wall in such manner as to prevent any relative movement between the object and the wall on which it is sup ported;

Another object of the invention is to provide hanger apparatus of the kind referred to'which is capable-of use 'with a wide range vof objects that are intended to be suspended from a wall.

A further object of the invention is to provide hanger apparatus for pictures or the like and which is capable of substantial adjustment so as to make it unnecessary to exercise great care in attaching the parts of the apparatus to the wall and to the object to be supported.

Another object of the invention is to provide hanger apparatus of the character referred to which is economical to manufacture, easy to install, and durable in use.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out specifically, or will become apparent from the following description when it is considered in conjunction with the appended claims and the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a horizontal sectional view through a building wall and illustrating one portion of hanger apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the hanger apparatus as it would appear in use, the object supported by the apparatus being illustrated fragmentarily;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of a portion of the'apparatus as viewed in the direction of the arrows 3-3 in FIGURE 1; and

The relative lengths of the body sections 2 and 8 are such that, when assembled, the ends of the section 8 extend beyond the ends of the'section 2. In order to prevent lateral shifting or rocking of the object 12 in a ver-' tical plane, the opposite ends-of the bodyjsection 8 areprovided with .a plurality of notches orteeth 13 that are a'dapted'to 're'st uponthe flanges 3 at thelopposite ends of the body section 2. h To preventcanting of the object 12 in such manner as to position one edge of the latter'closer to the wall 5 than the other edge, each flange 3, is provided with a V-shaped notch 14 that is adapted to receive the body-8. To achieve this objective it is necessary that the flanges 9 on the member 7 be offset from the plane of the body 8 a distance not less than the distance from the base of the recesses 14 to the plane defined by the reverse bends that form the flanges 4. H a

As is indicated in FIGURE 2, the curvature of the mounting member 7 is such as tov present a downwardly concave configuration, and'the curvature of the body section 8 is such as to preclude any interference between the lower surface of the latter and the extensions 4 on the body 2. 1 It would be possible to change the curvature of the member 7 sothat its body section presents a downwardly convex configuration, in which case notches similar to the notches 14 could be provided in the extensions 4.

In the use of the apparatus, the member 1 is nailed or 7 otherwise fixed to the wall sat a selected height, and the member 7 is nailed or otherwise fixed to the back of the object to be supported by the member 1. The member 7 then may be placed atop the member 1 with the opposite ends of the body section 8 received in the notches 14.

Inasmuch as the body section of the member 7 is bowed and has its opposite ends provided with a plurality of notches 13, it is not necessary that the member 1 be perfectlyhorizontal or that the member 7 be precisely located on the back of the object 12. The curvature of the body section 8 and the provision of a fairly large number of notches 13 make it possible to shift the members 1 and 7 relatively to one another as may be required to enable the object 12 to be suspended truly vertically. When the object is suspended in the desired position relative to the wall, the engagement between the notches 13 and 14 will provide a positive, non-slip support for the object 12 and prevent any relative movement between the object 12 and the wall 5.

The disclosed embodiment is representative of a presently preferred form of the invention, but is intended to be illustrative rather than definitive thereof. The invention is defined in the claims.

Patentedv Feb. 1 1965 The extensions 4 constitute means for mounting the member 1 on the outer surface of a vertical wall 5 or the like.

b Whatis claimed is: j

' ject.

' The construction set forthinsc laim -1" whereinthe mounting means of said first support: member are con- V s-titutedin'part by said flanges;

1.' Apparatus for mounting anobject'on'a substantially vertical Wall or the like, saidapparaitus comprising a first elongated support member terminating at'its opposite ends i in spac'e'd apart;laterallyextending fianges; a second eion- V gated support'member having" a bowedportion or such length as to span the distance between said flanges, each of saidfianges having atleastone notch therein and the a bowedportion of said second support member having a plurality of notches at its opposite ends, the "notches in said 'flanges receiving said second support member and cooperating with the notches at the opposite ends of the bowed portion of the latter to fix said support members 7 against movement relative to one: another; and mounting 1 I "means-on each of said supportme'mbers'for mounting one adjacent each end of the bowed-body of 'said second mem V beroperable. to prevent relative movement of said mem- V bers when said second member'issupp'orted on the flanges 'of'said first member;

terminating at its opposite ends in laterally offset flanges extending laterallya distance less thanthedength of the flanges at the ends of said first member; said second member being'adapted to be supportedadjacent its opposite ends by said flanges on said first member; and cooperable:

means on each of the flanges of'said first member and 5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein the body 7 of'said second support member formed on a downwardmember on'said wall and thejothermember on saidob- 2;;"The apparatus set forth claim wherein said sec- 0nd of said members' isibovvedi to-pres'ent a downwardly concave configuration 1y concave arc. 7 a

6'. Apparatus as set forth in claim'4 wherein said cooperabie means comprises notches in each of said flanges and atthe opposite ends of said borved body ofsaid sec ondmembera i it 4V '7; Apparatus as set forth inclaim 4 Whe'reinsaid re- M verseiy turned flanges ofsaid'first support member term} 4. Apparatus for'rnounting ail-object onla snbs'tantially elongated support memberv having a substantiaily fiat,

bowed body longer' than" the body of said first member and p YFRANK L. ABfSOTT;PrimaryiExaininer nate-adjace'ntsaid body thereof inwardly ofits' said ends; 7 and wherein-the 'arc of said bowed body of said second a support is such that saidbowed body overlies and is free 2,126,630 8/38 Gleitsman of'engagementtyvith said flanges, V I

A Refiereiices Cited by the Examiner 1 1 UNITED STAT S- TE TS $22 ,510 7/94 Church I 2,657,837 11/53" Whitenj 7 2248431 as... s 

1. APPARATUS FOR MOUNTING AN OBJECT ON A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL WALL OR THE LIKE, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A FIRST ELONGATED SUPPORT MEMBER TERMINATING AT ITS OPPOSITE ENDS IN SPACED APART, LATERALLY EXTENDING FLANGES; A SECOND ELONGATED SUPPORT MEMBER HAVING A BOWED PORTION OF SUCH LENGTH AS TO SPAN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID FLANGES, EACH OF SAID FLANGES HAVING AT LEAST ONE NOTCH THEREIN AND THE BOWED PORTION OF SAID SECOND SUPPORT MEMBER HAVING A PLURALITY OF NOTCHES AT ITS OPPOSITE ENDS, THE NOTCHES IN SAID FLANGES RECEIVING SAID SECOND SUPPORT MEMBER AND COOPERATING WITH THE NOTCHES AT THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE BOWED PORTION OF THE LATTER TO FIX SAID SUPPORT MEMBERS AGAINST MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO ONE ANOTHER; AND MOUNTING MEANS ON EACH OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBERS FOR MOUNTING ONE MEMBER ON SAID WALL AND THE OTHER MEMBER ON SAID OBJECT. 